Monday, April 4, 2011

A video, A Declining Singapore

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have put up a video entitled A Declining Singapore here. I have attached the link below. Other than being fuming mad, we would of course be interested to know what Lee Kuan Yew and his Prime Minister son would do now.

Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

Gopalan, you are a hero in my eyes. Yes, why would anyone want to live in Singapore? I have 3 degrees all from Australia and even with this, I cannot get a small time job in my own country. And yes, I have emigrated away.

I never thought I'd feel so disgusted with my own country, but I do. I cannot wait to get my CPF out and be done with this shit country.

Singapore, a country of institutionalized racism, discrimination, where decades of courtesy campaigns never made even a dent to the uncough behaviour of its materialistic people, and where the government continually robs its people with the people's blessings!

Singapore, where the government continues to conjour up ways to tax its people dry to pay itself and its mistakes, and where the people are so dumb that they continue to vote the govt in at every election. The people actually believe all the lies the PAP govt dishes out in the ST newspapers.

Please continue to expose the disgusting PAP looting of the country, nepotism and cronyism, rigging of the Constitution, judiciary to a meaningless piece of paper.

I implore you to continue to do what you are doing now to wake up these dumb Singaporeans, even as you and I are not Singaporeans anymore.

It's the early throes of election season in Singapore, and the Lees are keen to avoid any jasmine-like suggestion that might flower from elsewhere.

What the Singapore media won't write is that Australia's rejection of the SGX bid comes at an embarrassing time for the long-ruling Lee regime, unhindered by the trifles of democracy since 1959, a grip on absolute power challenged only by China, North Korea and Cuba.

Its power elite's reluctance to devolve corporate and political power, to give up the perks, the fat salaries, the clubby ride, has allowed its government-owned corporations to become massive entities that have outgrown Singapore's relatively small economy.

Singaporeans aren't about to crowd Orchard Road as Egyptians did Tahrir Square but there is palpable disquiet about these cosy networks, loss-making deals, bad bets, the relative lack of transparency, the spin.

they also have the means to question — namely the ubiquitous social media, the same engine that recently transformed Middle Eastern politics.

over two million active Facebook users in a population of just over five million.

Singaporeans are introduced to recent Workers’ Party recruits, such as the University College London educated think-tanker and public-policy specialist Pritam Singh and the international Davis Polk & Wardell lawyer based in Beijing as well as Chen Show Mao, whose list of qualifications (from Harvard, Oxford and Stanford universities) surpass the Lee family at their own game.

The situation you have mentioned in Singapore is almost an exact mirror of the situation in Malaysia. The Chinese and Indians who are able to are leaving in droves. The Malays discriminate against the Chinese and Indians so badly that they have nothing to stay for. Isn't it interesting on how close these 2 countries are in their policies. They are paired in almost every sinister move to curb civil liberties. Sadly, most of the people in these 2 countries have grown up drinking the proverbial kool-aid and do not know how to think differently nor question the status quo. Many believe everything that has told to them by a totalitarian regime and demagogues in the likes of Lee Kwan Yew and his cronies; and Mahathir and his cronies.

To Anonymous April 7, 0439,Although what you say is partially true, you cannot deny the fact that Malaysians have some guts. Singaporeans haven't any. At least Malaysians dare to protest. No Singaporean has ever done even that. At least in Malaysian parliament there is some passion. In Lee's parliament, there is only dull boring parroting of the same song. There is life in Malaysia, Singapore is a cemetary.

Another factor to the decline of Singapore is the rejection by the Australian government for SGX to takeover ASX.

"The ASX and Singapore Exchange Limited announced plans last October to create one of the world's largest and most diversified financial trading hubs in a AUD$8.4 billion (US$8.7 billion; S$11.06 billion) deal.

But the proposal hit hurdles in Australia, where concerns over foreign ownership and Singapore's democracy and rights record were raised."

This is obviously hurting Singapore as the 2 countries are miles apart in terms of basic human rights and democratic principles.

Living in a country where politicians are scrutinized closely, and their dirty tricks exposed - Singapore PAP candidates are poor "Yes" weaklings who will bring Singapore into stagnation.

This remind me of Japan nuclear disaster, Tokyo Electric is run by the so-called elites of Tokyo university - usually retired politicians & bureaucrats. The country has stagnant since 1990. They are importing Koreans TVs and their cars are now challenged by Koreans, their former colony.

This is what Singapore is heading, if all the govt know are building 2 high-class casinos and sticking to lowering wages to compete against the world.

If Singaporeans do not wise up this General Election, it may be too late to turn the situation around next election. PAP may finally put up departmental store dummies to make up the numbers in a tired groupthink PAP.

When it is not possible to tell PAP govt's influence in Temasek Holdings, GIC and Singapore airlines; and the govt refuse to publish independently audited annual reports on CPF activities - it is a big risk to handover ASX to Singapore.

Also, it is obvious that SGX need ASX more than ASX need SGX. It does not matter that Australia's reputation may suffer due to this rejection. But I feel that this rejection reflect more about Singapore than the SG govt dare to acknowledge openingly. P

erhaps Singapore should join forces with its natural partners - Zimbabwe, North Korea and Burma.

We have heard the scurrillous lies, spread by your political enemies no doubt, that you have collected about S$3,500,000 in salary and bonuses, not including perks. We write to assure you, sir, that we do not believe a word of it.

“My decision was based on clear, unambiguous advice from the Foreign Investment Review Board that the takeover by the Lee family would be contrary to national interests,” he said at a press conference in Canberra.

@Gopalan: There is some passion in the Malaysian parliament because of the likes of people likd Malay opposition leaders such as Anwar. However, don't forget that Anwar's been heavily targeted by the Malay UMNO regime that has tried to destroy him at every chance they can. Anwar is in his sodomy 2.0 trial. They keep cooking up ridiculous sex scandals involving him because he dared to speak up. Then there's RFK, that Malay blogger who is now in exile in the UK and is a wanted man in Malaysia for he dared to criticize Islam on his blog.

The average Chinese and Indians there are extremely quiet for they are scared of retaliation and imprisonment. So I'm not quite sure how you can really say that Singapore is worse or Malaysia is better. They are equally BAD!!! Both have no respect for civil rights.

The irony is, the people I know in Malaysia especially the Chinese think that Singapore is a wonderland. In fact many have sent their kids to school in Singapore. I guess not being repressed by the Malays in Malaysia positive enough for them. Unfortunately, most of these Malaysian Chinese do not see the repressive atmosphere in Singapore. I think that when one grows up in a repressed/oppressed environment, they grow up never really understanding the concept of civil rights, freedom, etc. all of which are what we take for granted as Americans. It takes a tremendous amount of self-awareness, desire to learn and change to embrace these values, i.e. someone like you.

On another side topic but relevant no less. I've been reading the "Once a Jolly Hangman" book by Alan Shadrake. It's extremely revealing of how dreadful Singapore is. It's a really good book to gain insight into Singapore's double standards and their marginalization of the poor and uneducated. Singapore keeps hanging these young desperate and poor mules while their prime minister and his cronies are pals with Myanmar's drug lords.

The highest-rated comment came from Yahoo! user Chia, who posted, "Upgrading is not delivered solely based on policies. It is driven by money from the reserves. The money comes from the people and not from PAP."

He added that, "It (upgrading) is a national building programme. A nation does not belong to any party but the people."

Does Singapore think that their system is so great, that every other countries should copy its success?

I have to refer to the SGX-ASX failed deal, because it is a microcosm of how Singapore as a whole is failing.

I have an explanation from the horse's mouth (under FOI) that Singapore messed up the deal. The Aussie Foreign Investment Review Board is not a tough nut to crack. But SGX simply failed to demonstrate the benefits of the deal to them, it also fail to address the regulatory issues and put in a rather pedestrian proposal. This is no difference from the poor quality of Singapore job seekers in Australia and even the poor quality of the PAP candidates.

Singaporeans take too many things for granted, and assumed too much - esp that the people they are communicating with understand the background or the unspoken "understanding". Even migrants expect Australia to be more Singapore. (shocking!)

It does not help that SGX is 23% owned by the Singapore govt, is a substandard exchange that is inefficient, with low regulatory standards & low liquidity. In fact, HongKong has a more reputable exchange.

Please do take note...loony loon the PM's wife ho ho ho ching sold off singapore gov't control (but public funds were paid for them over the decades) power generation companies & power generating assets to overseas companies (of which 2 is controlled by foreign governments)...these power generation companies provide singapore around 90% of the power supply of the island...and we have out of control lunatics selling these strategic assets away...

its no wonder these foreigned owned ex-local "strategic" assets has been upping the electrical bills to singaporeans these past few years to ridiculious levels...and as electrical bills goes up...the local economy goes up as biz owners or building owners (including many which belong to the PAP government) keep pushing these "up & up" costs to consumers/local biz owners...which in turn feed the inflation spike etc...

PAP government of singapore that good huh...

Only traitors sell out their country and its people out...and you can see it all too clearly how these traitors do it and how they "group think". And all for what...more money...so what! In the end when you die, you can't bring your wealth over...and you think your kids/grand kids will care...they won't...they will just enjoy spending it all happily in the end...

We, the citizens of SingaporePledge ourselves as one united peopleRegardless of race, language or religionTo build a democratic societyBased on justice and equality.....what a load of Bull shit that I used to believe in!

My country discriminated against me and my religion. The leaders I looked up to plundered the country to enrich themselves. Theyused unjust laws to oppress its own people.And created an atmosphere so competitive that society became so materialistic and uncourteous.

But you know Gopalan, the govt did foster a united people. Singapore is now united to build a democratic society without the PAP. I hope that the pledge that I used to recite and believe in, will eventually be true and meaningful for my ex compatriot Singaporeans.

The PAP used to give a "communist" tag to anything inconsistent with what they think and do. These days the dirty word is "globalisation" and that which brought about opening the labor market to foreign competition to lower wages. This in turn leads to wide disparity in income and the demise of the middle class.

This is the inevitable outcome of the open market policies that drives the globalisation push.

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About Me

Determined to find the Truth.
Born Singapore, educated Winstedt School 2 (next to Monks Hill in Newton, Singapore) Raffles Institution, National Service, some travel in Europe, then law studies England, return to Singapore, practiced for 10 years, active Workers Party member, stood elections 1988 and 1991 in Singapore, was harassed and persecuted by Lee Kuan Yew for my political beliefs, left for USA, obtained asylum and admitted California State Bar, practice law ever since in Fremont California near San Francisco. Relinquished Singapore citizenship 2005 because I was not prepared to permit Lee Kuan Yew to unjustly retain my CPF funds if I remained Singapore Citizen. On principle, the only correct thing for me to do was to give it up, for my CPF funds. I am an American Citizen as of 2004.